Strong opener for “AHS: Hotel.” I’ve started going into this show with a lot of caution after the mess that was season three and four. But I was instantly turned on by the retro yet dichotomous ambiance of the Hotel Cortez and the insanely diverse cast of characters. The setting, music, and mood of this pilot episode were stunning, haunting, disturbing, and totally arousing. The music in particular was just so spot on.
It’s not the easiest pilot episode to recap as it left a lot open to interpretation and didn’t give a lot of explanations for…anything. Though MrDisgusting does a pretty good job of recapping, which you can read here. We know there’s a hotel. And it’s special. We know Lady Gaga is some sort of vampire type thing who rules them all. We know not to go into room 64. And don’t rip open any mattresses.
Right off the bat, “Hotel” has a very similar feel to “Murder House,” which was personally my favorite season of AHS. It’s sexy, really, really sexy. It’s the first season since season one that has as much sex appeal as it does horrific elements. While the other seasons straddled the line of psychosexual horror, “Hotel” is about as psychosexual horror as you can get—as evidenced in the orgy scene that turned into a sexual bloodbath. Speaking of which, Lady Gaga and Matt Bomer are absolutely perfect. From the second they came on the scene they were viciously erotic, unbelievably daring, and flaunted a nonchalant confidence that made me swoon.
Another thing that “Hotel” really has going for it is that Murphy pushes more boundaries—even for FX—than he ever has before. And this is Ryan Murphy we’re talking about, the king of pushing boundaries. Yet still, “Hotel” beats out anything else he’s done as far as sex and gore are concerned. I’m always slightly shocked by what he is able to get away with on television. This was definitely the goriest AHS pilot to date.
I wasn’t crazy about Wes Bentley and Chloe Sevigny’s storyline. It’s a bit cliché for my tastes. Obsessive detective who works too hard, destroys his family because of his workaholic tendencies. Wife who can’t look her husband in the eyes because he reminds her too much of their lost son. I’ve seen it a million times before. The only hope I have that the storyline will improve is that he moved into room 64 by the end of the pilot. For his sake, I hope the drill-like strap-on never makes an appearance again.
“Hotel” feels drastically different from previous seasons while still keeping that quintessential Murphy flavor. It’s moodier, darker, and more sensual. It’s extremely more graphic with a juxtaposition of old-fashioned whimsy. If Murphy can stray away from his MO of throwing too many storylines at his audience while leaving so many questions unanswered, I think this could be the best thing to happen in a while. Meaning: I was a huge fan of the pilot. Let’s see how I feel next week.
Stray Observations:
I was hesitant about Max Greenfield because he’s such a doof in “New Girl,” but he was so perfect as the douchy, arrogant junkie and I truly hope to see more of him.
The real estate agent from season one and the inside joke about the dog! Perfect!
Smart move making the first hotel guests of the pilot foreign. It felt like a page out of the book of Eli Roth.
Denis O’Hare. That is all.